Grayza Collection
by PinkKoala213
Summary: A collection of one-shots based on the pairing of Gray x Erza. Various AUs. Ch 2, Quite the Winter Formal: "But, then again, he and Erza were best friends. What if that was all she saw him as?"
1. 1: Night Changes

Hi :)  
>Well first off, it has been waaaaaay too long since I've written Grayza. There was a long time when I had no ideas or inspiration to write for any of my otps, and it really disappointed me. But of course, some of my fave authors started writing again, and others reviewed my old stories, and now I'm determined to write again! So to all you guys who reviewed my stories despite the fact that I didn't update for two years: thank you so, so much :)<p>

As in the description, this collection will be a series of one-shots dedicated to this all-too-perf couple. I hope you all enjoy this story, and please leave a review if you did!

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><p>Gray watched her as she drove, knowing that she was well over the speed limit. Erza didn't care; her eyes remained on the road with her classic resting-bitch-face, one hand on the wheel and the wind blowing through her hair. He smirked to himself; the darkness of the night had just settled, and Erza was already speeding down the empty highway.<p>

Truth be told, despite how often he thought about it, he was terrified to ask her out on this date. He shouldn't have been- they were only getting older, so weren't these things supposed to get easier? Besides, it wasn't like he and Erza were strangers. True, they had hung out many times before, even alone, but this wasn't like the other times. This time, Gray was sure of his feelings for her.

It occurred to Gray just _how _fast Erza was driving. She always sped whenever they drove together, and he couldn't help but wonder why. There was never any rush around them, but she always acted like there was. He knew she was an outspoken, powerful woman, always trying to live without being upset over the past. But that didn't quite explain it either.

She was never in _this_ much of a rush either. Of course, he tried not to assume it was because of Jellal. She admitted to Gray that yes, Jellal did break her heart, but also that she was fine. Gray, however, was still skeptical of her claims, feeling that her past relationship affected her a lot more than she let on.

He looked up at the sky: as he had observed, night had settled for quite some time now. The sky was a dark indigo; the pinks and oranges from the sunset had long left the linings of the clouds. The first stars were there, twinkling brightly. He chuckled softly. Erza's eyes darted to him, "Yes?"

Gray simply cleared his throat. "You look really nice."

Erza scoffed, but Gray caught the hint of a smirk on her cherry lips. She said nothing, so Gray continued, "Your dress looks great too. Red is your color, despite what people say."

"Since when did you talk to people about my dress color?"

"It comes up in discussion regularly. You're a hot topic."

She snorted back a laugh and rolled her eyes. "You're such a dork." she told him, playfully pushing his shoulder.

Gray laughed, "Yeah, but you don't seem to mind." He placed his hand over her free one. She glanced at their hands a little longer than normal, as if his action surprised her. Her focus immediately went back on the road. He watched as she inhaled deeply, as if she were shaking out the thoughts in her head. He didn't say anything; he simply gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. To his relief, he felt her relax the tiniest bit.

After some time they had stopped; Erza found a spot in one of the campground fields that had a perfect view of the stars. The couple wrapped themselves in blankets and settled into the back seat of the convertible, Erza naturally finding herself curled up by Gray's side. The moon was out now, its light glowing on Erza's skin.

"Erza," he spoke softly. The redhead turned and looked up at him; he could see his reflection in her honey-brown eyes. "I have to let you know..I really like you." She looked taken aback by his words, so he continued. "Yes, you beat me up and make fun of me, but I don't care- I really am in love with you." Erza just stared back at him with..._fear_? Ignoring her stare, he started to close his eyes as he leaned in swiftly.

His eyes, however, remained open as Erza pulled away. Confused, Gray studied her, and although he deemed all her features as perfect, the slight frown and furrow of her eyebrows told him that something was clearly not right. Ignoring the fact that the moment was right, that he wanted to tell her he loved her so much, he instead moved her to face him. "What's wrong?"

Erza sighed, shuddering slightly. "I don't love anyone, Gray." she whispered timidly, her eyes casted downward. "I can't, I..I try to live my life without regrets. I always make the choices that are the fastest." Her voice was wavering. Gray remained in the same position, listening intently.

"I feel like I love you. But I'm just so scared it will all disappear as soon as tomorrow comes, so I..I don't want to get attached!" She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face.

Although he hated it, he knew his assumption was correct- this was all from Jellal. He looked at her and tried to see _her, _but all he saw was confusion, fear, and sadness. What he was looking at was all the pain Jellal had left her. She needed to see this whole situation differently. She needed to know he cared.

He needed to love her.

Gray reached out his hand, cupping her face gently. Erza blinked, another set of tears sliding down her face. "Can I...can I kiss you?" he asked sincerely. Erza nodded slowly. Gray moved in just as slow. Right before his lips reached hers, she whispered, "I-I'm so scared right now."

It was clear that she didn't want to offend him, that she just had to let him know. He just nodded, "It's okay." And with that, he kissed her. She kissed him back, carefully. He could taste the salt from her tears, and could feel her soft lips somewhat quivering. He pulled back, taking a deep breath and looking at her. She stared at him, her honey eyes now filled with some sort of hope.

He leaned in again, and could barely contain his happiness as he saw her tilt her head up to him. He kissed her with more intensity this time, allowing his cool tongue to slip in. She surprised him again, putting her hands on the back of his head to pull him closer.

* * *

><p>After some time the two were back to their original positions, Erza cuddled up under Gray's arm. The sky had changed: the light blues from the daylight were appearing, fading into the dark blues from the night that was now leaving. Erza marveled at the painting in front of them, "I've never seen the night change before. I mean, I've been around when it does, but..I never made it a point to watch."<p>

Gray looked down at her. "Hey, look- I'm still here." he chuckled. Erza looked back and gave him a down-up. "What do you mean?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"What I mean is," he smiled, turning her to him and taking her small hands into his, "the night can change, but it will never change how I feel about you." He looked into her eyes as deeply as he could. She looked back at him, astonished…

...but it quickly changed to a smile. She rolled her eyes, "You are_ such_ an idiot." she laughed, and she couldn't help but pull his face to hers once more. Gray was right- night had transformed into day, and nothing had changed between them.

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><p>Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review! ;)<p>

Until next time,

PinkKoala213


	2. 2: Quite the Winter Formal

**Hey guys, hope you're all doing well :3 A huge thank you hug to everyone that reviewed the first chapter of this collection! You guys are the best :D In celebration of all the winter formals coming to a close, here's a new oneshot, full of high school profanity and drama. Enjoy, and don't forget to leave a review!**

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><p>"C'mon Gray, you got this!" Loke smiled, clapping his hands supportively on his friend's shoulders.<p>

"Yeah, don't worry. It's in the bag, for sure." Natsu added, punching his best friend's arm.

Gray nodded, smiling back at his friends in appreciation. He turned his head to a certain set of lockers, his focus on the girl with scarlet hair that stood in front of them. _That scarlet hair… _

Gray's smile suddenly faded. He turned back to his friends. "Guys, I can't do it."

His mission was to ask Erza to their school's winter formal. He knew she didn't have a date, and that there was less than a week till the dance, so there was a high probability that she would say yes. But, then again, he and Erza were best friends. What if that was all she saw him as?

Loke and Natsu were appalled. "You're joking! You can, you've got this on lock." Loke told him.

"Yeah, and it's Erza! Worst comes to worst, she make you wear a tux or something." Natsu agreed.

Gray turned from his friends and looked over at his best friend and love interest. She and Lucy were standing in front of their locker, the two anxiously talking about something. Taking a deep breath, Gray held out his hand. Loke nodded and placed a rose in his open hand, while Natsu hit Gray's shoulder one last time.

"Alright…here goes." Gray smiled, putting the rose behind his back as he walked toward the girl in question. 

X-x-X 

Ezra took a deep breath and exhaled quickly. She put her hands at her sides, but, realizing how clammy they were, put them back in the pockets of her jacket.

"Don't be nervous, Erza! You got this!" Lucy, beside her, encouraged as she placed a comforting hand on the redhead's shoulder.

The two 17-year-olds were standing beside their locker, staring across the hall at a certain blue haired boy named Jellal; or, according to them, the cause of Erza's in-class daydreaming.

Erza turned to her friend with a frustrated grunt. "You know what the problem is, Lucy? I _am _nervous!" She looked behind her, muttering, "Oh my God, why did I think this was a good idea..."

It was Monday, the first day of winter formal week. All of Erza's friends had dates to the dance, and of course, Erza wanted one as well. So what better than to ask one of the most popular boys in school? After countless hours of rehearsing lines with Mira and Lucy, Erza finally decided she was ready.

"C'mon Erza, we practiced this a million times. Besides, it's just Jellal!" Lucy tried again.

Erza turned to her friend once again, this time with a glare. "I think you're forgetting that he's basically the star of the basketball team and the soccer team. Besides, it'll be way different than how we rehearsed!" she snapped.

She wasn't that close to Jellal. She definitely wasn't as close to him as Ultear, another girl in their grade, was. Erza and Jellal were more along the lines of…comfortable acquaintances. They had two classes together, enough for Erza to confirm that she had feelings for him. She hoped that winter formal would bring them closer together, maybe even to the point of dating.

"What happened to the Erza two weeks ago? Y'know, the one that was determined to 'Ask the boy,' the one that wasn't afraid of rejection, the one that _didn't want to be dateless to winter formal_?!" Lucy scolded.

Erza's frustration turned back into a nervous fear. Her heart was pounding almost too loudly in her chest. She swallowed hard. She needed something, or _someone_ to calm her down. Someone that she knew forever, and that knew her forever. In other words…she needed her best friend.

She needed Gray.

Desperate, she spun around, searching for that familiar head of navy hair. A smile appeared on her face as soon as she saw the boy she was looking for. 

X-x-X 

"Gray! Oh, thank _God _you're here!" Erza exclaimed, running up to her best friend and throwing her arms around his neck. Gray stumbled back, slightly surprised at her reaction, but hugged her back anyway, the rose still in his hand and unseen by Erza. Lucy, who had come up beside them, saw the rose in Gray's hand. Her eyes widened, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

Shit.

Erza pulled back, her hands on her temples. "Ugh, I need your help! I'm a nervous wreck right now; I am_ freaking _out and I—"

Gray took his free hand and put it comfortingly on Erza's arm. "Whoa, Erz, slow down. What's going on?"

Erza looked up at him, her eyes panicky. "I'm really nervous about something, and I need you to help me calm down."

Lucy positioned herself behind Erza's view and directly in Gray's. She caught Gray's eye, shaking her head at him with wide eyes. He raised an eyebrow, confused. Ignoring Lucy, he turned back to Erza. "Okay, take a deep breath with me. Ready?" The two inhaled and exhaled, every slow breath calming Erza down.

"Okay, tell me what's going on?" Gray repeated, looking right at Erza. Lucy stood behind her, frantically shaking her head and waving her hand under her neck, signaling him to abort the mission he had planned. Unfortunately, Gray merely glanced at her and then turned back to Erza. Lucy's shoulders sank, and a pit in her stomach grew. She knew how much Gray cared for Erza; this would definitely hurt. A _lot._

"Well…you're not gonna like this, cos you don't like him, but…" Erza looked up from the ground and at Gray. "I'm asking Jellal to winter formal." Erza immediately looked back at the ground in an attempt to hide her red, embarrassed face.

Lucy watched Gray as his smile faded, his face now resembling surprise. She gave him an apologetic shrug; it was the best she could do. Gray looked away from the blonde and turned to Erza with a smile. The rose behind his back discreetly dropped to the ground.

"_That's_ what you're so nervous about?" Gray scoffed, crossing his arms. Erza looked up at him, eyes wide while he continued to talk. "Erza, you're one of the bravest people I know. You remember when you stood up to Minerva, _the _Minerva, freshman year? She tried to take you out, but you didn't back down!" he laughed, causing Erza to smile as well. He patted her arm, "You got this."

"But…you're not mad? I know you two have that soccer rivalry, and what happened with Ultear…" Erza trailed off, recalling the past relationship (that, according to Lucy and Mira, was definitely over) between Jellal and Gray's cousin.

Gray shrugged. "Of course I don't like him, but I'm fine if you're happy. It's just Jellal, you got this." he told her once more.

Erza smiled at him brightly, her nerves vanishing at Gray's words. She hesitated, then hugged the navy haired boy once more. "Thanks, Gray." she said, and pulling away, looked giddily between him and Lucy. "Wish me luck!" she squealed. Lucy and Gray smiled in encouragement, as Erza left. Gray watched her leave with disappointment in his eyes. He had known Jellal for years, from both of them being the top players on the soccer team, to the boy's past relationship with Ultear. In short, Gray only knew him only for the bad stuff he did.

A sigh unintentionally sounded from his mouth, and Lucy turned to him, the blonde's face twisted in apology.

"Gray, please, don't take this personally. I'm sure Erza would've said yes to you if—"

Gray shook his head, stopping the blonde's words as he forced a smile on his face. "Lucy, it's fine. I'll see you later."

"It's just a bump in the road! What's so good about that blue haired guy, anyway?!" Lucy laughed forcefully, trying to make light of the situation, but Gray already turned to leave.

_Why was he so angry?_

Lucy called after him, but he ignored her. His heart pounded in his head. He left the hallway, quickly enough that he didn't hear Jellal's reply to Erza:.

"Sure." 

X-x-X 

Gray strode down the hallway and took off his sweater, surprised that his nervous stripping habit hadn't kicked in earlier. All he wanted was to go home, and kick soccer balls until—

An intrusive arm slung around his neck playfully. "Weellll, Mr. Fullbuster, what's the word from Mrs. Fullbuster?!" Natsu asked giddily. Gray shrugged off his arm, continuing to walk.

"Easy Natsu, they're not dating yet! Or perhaps, they are?" Loke mused, falling in step on the other side of Gray. Gray closed his eyes in annoyance, knowing that what happened was not what his friends were expecting.

"Well of course they will be! You know what winter formal does: one minute you're going with your best friend, the next you're in a relationship!" Natsu added.

"GUYS!" Gray snapped, causing the other two boys to stop their teasing. "She didn't say yes."

Natsu and Loke stared back at Gray in disbelief. "She didn't say yes?!" Natsu repeated, trying to wrap his head around something that was so unreal to him.

"No. I didn't even get the chance to ask her." Gray spoke again, the bitterness on his tongue.

Loke crossed his arms. "Did you chicken out again? Man, I told you, she'll say—"

"She's going with Jellal."

The other two boys looked shocked, and then they frowned, knowing Gray's dislike of Jellal.

"Gray, I'm…I'm sorry, that sucks ass." Loke spoke, and Natsu nodded.

Gray sighed, and looked back at the two of them. "Yeah, it does. But I swear, if he treats her badly in any way, I'll make sure he regrets even looking at her." 

X-x-X 

Ultear Milkovich walked down the hallway to her locker, looking down at her phone as she did so. She was trying to get a hold of her cousin, Gray, but he wasn't texting her back. She stopped at her locker, only to see a familiar pair of shoes. Someone leaning against the locker beside hers. She took a deep breath, and looking up from her phone, she looked right at them. "Hey, Jellal."

The blue haired boy gave her a smile. "Hey, I'm glad I caught you."

"Psh, yeah right. I bet you planned this out." Ultear scoffed jokingly, turning to put in her locker combination.

"I have some news that I want you to know about."

Ultear looked up at him, surprised at his sudden change in tone. She and Jellal had dated for a year, but that had ended four months ago. It was a tough breakup, but they were still good friends. Four months was a long time, but Ultear was still hurting.

"What's wrong?" she asked, curious.

"Well, you know how winter formal is this weekend?"

A ball of nerves formed in Ultear's throat as she stared back at him. Was he gonna ask her? She swallowed, trying not to make her nervousness visible. She put her attention back on her lock, trying to spin the first numbers of her combination. "Oh, yeah, that. What about it?"

Jellal smiled that dazzling smile. "Well, you won't believe it, but…"

…_I'm gonna take you?  
><em>…_I've been in love with you?  
><em>…_I miss you like hell?_

"…Erza Scarlet asked me to go with her."

Ultear's hand froze in confusion. Erza Scarlet? Gray's best friend? Since when was she into Jellal? A jealous pain went through her body.

"And you?" she asked shakily.

"What?" Jellal asked, looking at her.

"What did you say?"

He looked at the ground, then back at her. "I said yes."

Ultear looked at him in disbelief, but forced a smile on as quickly as she could. "That's so good, Jellal. I'm glad you found a date!" She spun the last number of her combination and pulled down on the lock, which for some reason, was still, well, locked. She pulled down desperately, wondering why in the world it wouldn't budge—

"Whoa, Ultear, relax! You forgot your combination." Jellal told her as he moved her hands from the device. She watched as in seconds, the lock opened, as though it had no problems before.

"10-23-39. Don't forget." he told her with a wink, a wink that made her heart leap and sink at the same time.

She smiled back at him. That was all she could do, give him that forced smile. "I'll call you later!" Jellal called as he jogged down the hall towards the exit, waving goodbye. Ultear watched him leave, and as soon as he was out of vision, pressed her head on the cool metal of the school locker.

She still liked Jellal, a _lot_; there was no doubt. But how could she have feelings for him when he was interested in someone else? 

X-x-X 

"Yo, Gray! Practice is over, we gotta go if we want the good showers!" Lyon, Gray's brother, called to him. It was the end of an especially intense soccer practice, yet Gray was still out running laps on the indoor field. Lyon stood there, looking to see if his brother would say anything. Gray however, kept sprinting around the track.

Lyon shrugged. "Suit yourself." he muttered, and jogged to the locker rooms.

Ten minutes later, Gray had made it to the locker room, panting like a madman. He ran lord knows how many laps, but he more tired than he thought he'd be. He _did_ have a lot on his mind, and he needed to get it out somehow.

Alone in his locker room section he grabbed the stuff he needed for his shower, but stopped when he heard voices.

"Yeah, I can't believe it happened. Do they even know each other?" He recognized it as one of his teammates, Rouge.

"Apparently. I guess his answer means he likes her a little bit?" Another teammate: their goalie, Sting.

"Man, who woulda thought that he would say yes to _Erza,_ of all people?"

Gray's attention sparked upon hearing Erza's name. He leaned against the lockers to better hear what they were saying.

"Yeah. He still has it for Ultear, no matter what he says."

"So you think he's just using Erza as some sort of fun rebound?" Rouge asked. Anger swelled in Gray's chest.

"Probably; you know how he was before he met Ultear. He's probably gone back to his old ways. Can you imagine how funny her face will be when this is all over?" Sting mentioned rudely. The two shared a laugh, and exited the locker room.

Gray walked out, and walked to the showers. He had to let Erza know, no matter what. 

X-x-X 

Ultear locked the front door behind her and slung her heavy backpack off her shoulders. She sighed, glad to be home. What she needed was a nice bubble bath, with a warm cup of tea and a—

She froze, hearing noises from the kitchen: the creak of a cabinet door opening, followed by loud crinkling, as if someone were opening a bag of chips. She looked at the clock in the foyer: her mom wasn't coming home till late that night, and she knew for certain that she hadn't made plans with anyone today.

Wielding a shoe-horn, she was about to attack the intruders, when a voice sounded from her right.

"Yo, you got any—WHOA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Ultear spun around, the shoe-horn raised high in the air. Her eyes fell on her cousin and Gray's brother, Lyon, whose hands were raised in alarm. She rolled her eyes. "Lyon! What the hell, you scared me!" she shouted at him, while smacking him in the arm with the shoe-horn.

"Ow! Ul said we could come over today cos our parents are out..jeez Ultear, put that freaking thing down!" Lyon shouted back.

Just as Ultear was about to hit him once more, a new hand held the shoe-horn in place. She turned and saw Gray, disgustingly shirtless as usual, a bag of chips tucked in his free arm. "Damn girl, settle." he told her, mouth full of chips.

Ultear glared at the two boys and tossed the shoe-horn to the side. "I thought there was an intruder! You guys nearly gave me a heart attack!" she scolded, but her cousins had already left to the kitchen. Ultear rolled her eyes but followed them, realizing that she was quite hungry herself.

Opening the cabinet full of snacks, she saw that there wasn't much in it, save for some canned food and bottles of water. She turned around at her cousins, both on their phones and eating. "Next time save me some food, fat asses." she told them, and went to the fridge to find something else to eat.

Lyon looked up from his phone. "It wasn't me, it was all Gray! I mean yeah, I _did _eat a family size bag of chips, but Gray ate practically everything else in there!" he protested, pointing at his brother.

"What made Gray that hungry?" she asked, surprised, as she closed the fridge with an apple in her hand.

"Must be all the extra laps he ran after practice today." Lyon shrugged.

Ultear crossed her arms, staring at the navy haired boy. "Next time Gray? Don't clear out our snacks cabinet. And put on a shirt, for goodness sake! I thought Erza got you out of that weird stripping habit." At the mention of Erza's name, Gray's body went rigid, and recalling the events that had occurred earlier that day.

"I'm gonna take a shit." Lyon announced, and got up to leave.

"Light a candle, please!" Ultear called after him, and then sighed. She sat at Lyon's seat, and looked across at Gray. "Are you okay?" she asked him, noticing his unusual quietness today.

Gray shrugged, "Uh, yeah, I'm okay." he told her. He sighed, however, when he saw Ultear's raised eyebrow. "Okay, I'm not okay. It has to do with Erza…and Jellal."

Ultear's eyes widened. Gray and Erza were best friends, of course he would know about this! "Are you…okay with it?" Ultear asked.

Gray shrugged. "I mean, what can I do? I'm just her best friend…"

Ultear gulped, and she leaned her elbows on the counter. "I think you should…try to talk her out of it."

Gray looked at her, about to scold her for trying to sabotage Erza's happiness, when he remembered what he overheard from Sting and Rogue in the locker rooms...

"_Yeah, he definitely still has it for Ultear, no matter what he says."_

"_So you think he's just using Erza as some sort of fun toy?"_

"_Probably. Can you imagine how funny her face would be when she finds out?"_

Gray looked at his phone, his hand already about to dial Erza's number. "Yeah…maybe I should…" 

X-x-X 

Erza paced back and forth in her room, not looking at the dresses that she had thrown on her bed. She bit her thumbnail, nervous. The sound of the doorbell ringing pierced through her thoughts. She sprinted down the stairs to the front door, took a deep breath, and opened it.

"Hey." Gray greeted, stepping past her inside the house. Erza closed the door after him, but for some reason her attention was drawn to his outfit: he was wearing gray jeans, a blue sweater and his usual black leather jacket. Erza nodded, approving how good his outfit looked, and how good he looked…

…_wait, what?_

"Something wrong?" Gray asked, noticing her stares.

Erza's cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink as she made a beeline to the stairs. "It's nothing!" she told him, and walking briskly up the stairs. Did she really just think that? That Gray, her best friend, looked good? Well, of _course_ he looked good, half the girls in the school wanted him, but he looked especially good—

"I know you're nervous, but can you slow down? Jeez, we're just going up the stairs and you're practically running!" Gray called after her, trying to catch up to her.

She turned around with a joking smile. "Soccer player, my ass." she laughed, and continued to her room.

Gray walked in and immediately collapsed face first on Erza's bed, limbs outstretched as he let out a content groan. "Just give me a moment, I forgot how comfortable your bed was." he told her, voice muffled from the blanket that covered his mouth.

"Gray! Get off, you'll wrinkle my dresses!" Erza cried, pushing Gray off the clothing she had laid so carefully on the bed. Gray laughed, and still lying down, propped himself up on his elbow. Erza watched as he gave her a seductive smile, arching an eyebrow.

"Draw me like one of your French girls." he purred.

Erza's face reddened once more. She grabbed a pillow off the ground and smacked him with it. "Quit it, you're here to help me!" she scolded. Gray laughed again, and moved to lie on his back.

"Okay, so Jellal's wearing red and black, and I need to match him." Erza explained.

"Why don't you wear something blue? That way you guys can match each other's hair." Gray suggested, and felt the pillow smack him again. "It was just a joke!"

Erza picked up the first dress: a simple, black club dress.

"No." was Gray's reply.

She held up another, this time a light pink one.

"No."

They went through two more dresses, with Gray's same reply.

"Gray, you're not helping! You're just saying no!" Erza whined.

Gray shrugged, "I just don't think they suit this occasion."

Erza went over to her closet, scanning the hangers of clothes once again. Gray, seeing her now distracted, took the opportunity to mention what had been on his mind since Monday.

"So…why are you going with Jellal again? I mean, what's so great about him?" he asked. Her hand rested on a long, black dress that had straps of lace. "That one." he added.

"What's not to like? He's athletic, good-looking, funny…" She pulled out the dress, "This one?" Gray nodded. She threw it on the bed and continued looking through her closet.

"What's it to you? You've never cared about the guys I date." Erza remarked.

"I do care! And dating? You're just going to winter formal together." Gray reasoned.

"Okay, well you've never cared_ this_ much."

"I just…" Gray pressed his lips together, and spoke again. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Erza paused, and turned to him with arms crossed. "Do you know something?"

He tried to keep his eyes from widening. "No, I just…I'm not saying this as Ultear's cousin, but…I think he still cares a lot for Ultear."

"So? You care a lot about me, but that doesn't mean you like me."

Gray's heart sank at that one, and his heart beat faster and faster in his chest. He cleared his throat. "Erza, all I'm saying is that he might just think of you as a rebound."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Gray knew he had struck a nerve. Erza looked at him in disbelief. "Are you joking?"

"Erza, I—"

"Is that all I am? A 'rebound' girl?" Gray didn't say a word, knowing he couldn't bring himself to explain the truth.

"I finally do something about my love life, and this is how you react? I thought you'd be happy for me!" She looked at him. He remained silent.

"Are you even…happy for me?" she asked him quietly, looking at him with eyes he couldn't meet.

"I have to go." he finally spoke, standing from the bed. "I'll see you at school."

Erza stayed silent, until she heard him close the front door as he left. She frowned to herself, still not believing that her best friend wasn't even happy for her.

Upset, she discreetly looked out her window in time to see Gray driving away. Her eyes fell on the dress he had picked out for her.

_It was a beautiful dress…  
><em>

X-x-X

Before anyone knew it, it was the night of winter formal. Erza was getting ready with Lucy, Mira, Levy, and Cana at Lucy's house, and later they'd all be meeting the boys for dinner.

"Mira help! I just messed up my makeup for the millionth time!" Levy pleaded, mascara smeared all over her browbones.

Mira laughed. "Of all the books you read Lev, you haven't read anything on makeup?" the white haired girl joked, as she grabbed a makeup wipe from the crowded bathroom counter.

"Speaking of reading, I read that alcohol makes things more fun." Cana, who was at the door of the bathroom, announced. The other girls looked at her, confused. Cana smirked as she pulled a bottle of gin from behind her back.

"Cana! I thought we agreed on no alcohol!" Erza gasped.

"Relax Erza, we'll only take a couple shots, ok? Just to make things more fun." Cana defended.

The girls looked at Erza for approval.

The redhead's face cracked into a grin. "Eh, why not." she approved, and they all cheered.

Amidst all the talking and normal chaos of five girls getting ready, one of their cellphones started ringing.

"Erza, that's your phone!" Lucy called, grabbing the device, "And it's Jellal!" The girls oohed at Erza, who rolled her eyes with a smile as she answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Hey Erza, how's it going?" Jellal asked.

"Great, I'm just getting ready with the girls!" she replied. Although they were going to winter formal together, Erza truly didn't know him all that well. She was hoping that dinner tonight would make them more familiar with each other.

"Sounds crazy." he laughed.

"Yeah, be glad you're not here to witness it. And on top of it all, Cana brought gin."

Jellal laughed. "Well don't drink too much. I don't want to deal with you puking while we're dancing!"

Erza blushed, and the two talked a bit more before hanging up. When she put her phone down, she smiled to herself. Jellal definitely seemed interested in her, contrary to Gray's warnings. She walked back in the bathroom. "So, what did Jellal want?" Mira asked with a smile as she applied some blush to Levy's cheeks.

"He just asked how things were going." Erza smiled, shrugging her shoulders casually.

"Oh, speaking of boys: Gray called, he said he's not going to the dance later cos he's busy." Lucy announced.

"What? What's he busy with?" Cana asked.

"Beats me." Lucy shrugged.

"Is he coming to dinner?" Mira asked.

"I asked him, but he said he can't make it to that either." Lucy replied.

"Damn. Dinner's gonna be way quiet, now that Natsu has no one to argue with." Cana realized.

Something inside Erza hurt. Going out was always ten times more fun with Gray, and he wasn't going? Worry filled her brain. She hadn't spoken to Gray since he came over on Thursday. What was he doing?

"Erza, get your dress on! We gotta hurry, or we'll be late!" Levy spoke, breaking the redhead's trance.

Right, she had Jellal. She didn't need to worry about Gray's absence, she would have just as much fun, if not more, with Jellal tonight. She put on a smile as she changed into her dress. It was gonna be a good night. But she couldn't get the sudden sinking feeling out of her chest.

X-x-X

Jellal looked at himself one last time in the mirror, straightening his black tie. He told Natsu and the others that he'd meet them at the restaurant, and he was already five minutes late.

Tonight could go either way: he and Erza could hit it off, or not. He didn't know her as well as Gray did, but he knew enough to know that she was not only one of the prettiest girls in the grade, but also not as uptight as people think she is.

He wasn't sure why he said yes in the first place. Maybe it was the heat of the moment. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn't gonna go unless he had a date.

Maybe it was because _she _wouldn't go with him.

She, of course, was Ultear. They still talked a lot over the past four months, but never about the break up. And the break up…they broke up because they needed a break, but it had been long enough, at least Jellal felt so. He still loved her, which was certain. But it seemed like she didn't feel the same. She just acted very normal, and friendly around him. But when he told her he was going with Erza…he could've sworn she looked hurt. Almost…jealous.

He shook his head. The night was about how he and Erza would go. He said yes because he needed something different, a clean slate, and he was determined to see if it would work out. He was about to grab his car keys, when he heard the doorbell ring. He was home alone, so he walked over and opened the door. Ultear stood in front of him.

"U-Ultear! Hey, what's going on?" he greeted.

"Um, I was in the area, and I thought I'd drop by…" She noticed his formal clothes. "Oh, you're going to winter formal, right. Am I keeping you from leaving? We can talk sometime else."

Jellal stepped back, making a clear path for her to come inside. "No, we can talk." he told her, and she stepped inside.

"I'll just call them and let them know I'll be late." Jellal told her, and Ultear nodded with a smile.

He left back to the foyer and dialed Erza. She picked up.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Hey, I'm just calling to say I'll be a little late to dinner. Something important came up."

"No, that's fine! Keep me updated. Natsu won't save you any leftovers, though."

He laughed at that one. "Thanks, I'll see you in a bit." he responded, and then hung up.

Jellal found Ultear in the living room. She turned to him and chuckled. "I haven't been here in a long time."

"Yeah…Four months and a week, actually, to be exact." Jellal remarked, crossing his arms. Ultear simply stared back at him. Was there…_pain _in her eyes?

"Can we talk?" she asked. He nodded, sensing her seriousness, and ushered her to the couch. She took a seat. He almost sat down next to her, just like they used to, but sensing her slight discomfort he pulled up a chair to sit across from her.

"What's going on? You look pale, are you ok—" he reached up to put a hand on her face, but she pulled away. Understanding, he brought his hand down, disappointed.

"I'm fine, I just needed to say…" She took a deep breath, and then looked up at him. "I wanted to say I'm okay with you and Erza dating. It's been four months, and if you've already moved on I'm okay with that, I just…I just need more time…" she paused, "because I still really, really like you."

Jellal stared back at her in shock. _Did that just happen?_

She saw his surprised expression, and standing up she apologized. "I'm sorry, I know you're into Erza now, but I just had to let you know. I can leave, so—"

Jellal grabbed her hand, and she looked back at him. "Wait, so…you really like me?" he asked disbelievingly.

Ultear sat back down and nodded. "Yeah, I still do. But it's completely fine if you like Erza, I just need time—"

"Ultear, Ultear." he said, quieting her. "I only said yes to Erza to try to get over you." She tilted her head in confusion.

"I'm still in love with you." Jellal admitted, a smile on his face.

Ultear's face broke into a smile as well. "You are?" she laughed, putting her hands in his.

"I really am." he laughed, and leaned forward, pressing his lips into the ones he thought he'd never feel again.

X-x-X 

The music was blaring from the speakers. Everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves. As the song ended, Erza and the four other girls laughed, and found a table to sit at.

"Man, I LOVE that song!" Levy laughed.

"This is way more fun than I thought it'd be!" Cana remarked, and the girls agreed.

Erza snuck a glance at the clock. It had been an hour since they had arrived, and Jellal was nowhere in sight. She looked around the dancefloor once more, and still couldn't find him. She _did_ see his friends Sting and Rouge, both boys with their dates, but Jellal wasn't with them. She checked her phone; no missed calls or messages.

"Erza, don't worry, he'll show up!" Lucy smiled, putting an encouraging her hand on Erza's arm.

"Yeah, I really hope so." Erza faked a smile, and looked at the door.

_Where was he?_

X-x-X 

Forty-five minutes passed. Erza was sitting at the table, this time alone. A slow song played on the dancefloor, and all her friends dancing with their dates. She sat there, her red lipstick still bright, staring at the unmoving door.

She pulled out her phone and checked it: No new messages. She had sent a message to Gray earlier too, asking if he was busy tonight, but he still hadn't replied.

"Hey Erza." a voice behind her greeted. She rolled her eyes as Rogue took the seat beside her.

"Hi, Rogue. Where's your date?" she greeted back, faking her kindness. Rogue was one of the biggest assholes in the school; she hated being around him and Sting.

Rogue nodded his head towards the bathroom. "Fixing her hair, something about a missing bobbypin." Erza nodded, hoping that he'd leave, but he leaned closer instead. "Where's Jellal? I thought you guys were going together." he asked with a smile, almost as if he knew why Jellal wasn't there.

"You tell me." was her response.

"You want me to tell you what I think?" He smirked, and whatever the sinking feeling Erza had earlier came back.

"I think he used you."

Gray's words echoed in her head. "You _what?_" Erza asked, irritated to hear the same thing twice.

"I said, I think he used you."

"What do you mean, Rogue." Erza demanded, crossing her arms.

"You know he still has a thing for Ultear. Everyone knows. Of course he wouldn't be into you, not when he has a girl like that for him too." He sneered, and Erza tried her best to ignore it, but his words stung. And she wasn't sure if it stung because there was a possibility of it being true, or if it was because she had heard it all before.

From Gray.

"Excuse me." Erza mumbled, and got up to leave. She exited the dance floor and made her way to the bathroom, walking down the long hall.

"Erza!" a voice called. She turned around and saw Sting standing before her.

"What, Sting?" she asked, clearly more than annoyed.

"I was just wondering where Jellal was? I thought you guys were going together?"

"Well, why don't you ask Rogue. He seems to have an idea, most likely untrue if you ask me."

"Was it about Ultear?"

Erza's eye twitched. "Yeah…why?"

"Well, I don't know if Rogue told you, but…on our way over, we passed by Jellal's house. And Ultear was there."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, she was at the door, and he let her inside." He smirked. "Kinda funny how fast he forgot about winter formal, huh?"

Pain shot through Erza's body again. She turned and walked away from him, trying to get to the bathroom as fast as possible.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" he called down the hall. Erza walked faster, that sinking feeling getting deeper and deeper. All she wanted was to be alone…

She opened the bathroom door, only to find Minerva, of all people, standing there, reapplying her makeup. The black haired girl turned around, and seeing Erza, smirked. "Long time no see, Scarlet." Erza ignored her, going to the last sink to wash her hands.

"Well hello to you too." Minerva scoffed, going back to look at herself in the mirror. And then, she turned to her. "Weren't you supposed to be here with someone?" Erza stayed silent.

"Who was it, who was it…oh, yeah. Jellal Fernandes, right?" she smirked.

Erza looked at her and glared, "What's it to you?"

"No, no, I was just surprised. Last Tuesday I could've sworn he told me he was still into Ultear." Erza's eyes widened.

"You asked him on Monday, did you not?" Minerva prodded. Erza didn't respond. She looked down at the sink, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Well, I'll let that one settle. Try to have some fun, Erza." Minerva laughed, and left the bathroom.

Erza frowned, and dialed Jellal's number. She was determined to get to the bottom of this. He picked up after three rings.

"Jellal?" she asked, hearing silence on the other end.

"E—Erza?" he asked, "Shit, what time is it?" Realization struck the both of them. Jellal cleared his throat, "Shit, Erza, I can explain."

"Could you?" Erza asked, feeling more tears form behind her eyes, but she didn't let them fall.

"I…Erza, you know Ultear? Well, we used to date, and…" The sinking feeling was getting

deeper and deeper, painful and more painful.

"She came right before I was supposed to leave, and…um, I don't know how else to explain it, but…we're back together now."

Erza was silent.

"Erza? You still there?"

"Yeah, I…I completely understand. Thanks for letting me know." she finally responded, trying to make her voice as steady as possible.

"Thanks for understanding."

More silence.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it." he apologized.

Erza swallowed, but the lump in her throat just got bigger. "I'm sorry, too." She hung up, not knowing why she apologized.

She looked at herself in the mirror, the hopelessness on her face clear.

"He said he'd be here." she whispered in the empty bathroom. 

X-x-X 

Erza went back to the dance floor, just to say goodbye to her friends.

"But Erza! The dance isn't even over yet!" Lucy whined.

"Yeah, you've only been here for two hours!" Mira added.

"Jellal's probably on his way too, you wouldn't want him to show up and not have a date!" Cana spoke.

Something inside Erza snapped when she heard Jellal's name. "Really? Cos he just did that to me." she lashed out, not even realizing that her tears already had fallen down her cheeks. The girls looked confused, but Erza continued. "God, I was so stupid! Don't tell me you guys haven't figured it out either. He not showing up, and he won't! At all!"

Lucy stepped forward, her expression apologetic. "Erza…" she spoke, but Erza pulled away.

She stared at all her friends, who were looking at her the same way. She realized her tears were streaming down her face.

_What was she supposed to do?  
><em>_What was she supposed to say?_

She turned, and disregarding her friend's shouts she ran out the door. Jellal didn't show. And not only that, but Gray, the person that meant the most to her, didn't show either. 

X-x-X 

Gray ran down the length of the indoor field, the artificial grass below his feet feeling unusually dry. He angrily kicked the soccer ball into the goal, the ball landing inside perfectly. He sighed, running to retrieve the ball.

Of course he was angry. He was alone—yeah, he said he wasn't going to winter formal for obvious reasons, but his brother was out, and Ultear was who knows where. And on top of all that, he and Erza hadn't spoken in days. He needed her, but he knew she needed her space more.

From a farther spot, he kicked the ball in the goal once more. Was he really at fault in their fight? He just wanted to protect her. And if she got hurt, then so be it. He grabbed the ball and kicked it again.

He really didn't want to see her hurt, he just wanted her to see that he was right.

He picked up the ball and made his way home. 

X-x-X 

Gray stepped out of the shower, wearing only his sweatpants. He shook out his wet hair, and looked at the clock: it was already 10:30. _Had he really been alone this whole time?_

He checked his phone, and saw a missed call from Erza. He frowned, concerned, but waved it off. It was probably a butt-dial; besides, what would she have to call him about? Winter formal lasted for another hour and a half, and if she made it this far without saying anything to him, she was clearly having a good time.

The doorbell rang, the chime piercing through the silence of the house. Gray looked through his closet, after realizing that wearing a shirt would be a good idea, but couldn't find one. The doorbell rang twice more.

"Jeez, what's the rush?" he murmured, and dropped the whole shirt idea after he couldn't find one. "They'll just have to deal." he told himself, as he jogged down the stairs.

He opened the front door, and was shocked to see that in front of him, stood Erza. She was wearing the dress he picked out, he noticed, but something was wrong. Her makeup was smeared in streaks down her face, her hair was disheveled, her heels were held in her hand…but most importantly, she was alone.

"E—" he barely got out, when Erza suddenly stepped into his bare chest, her arms wrapping around his torso. Ignoring his now red face, he closed the door behind her and held her back at arm's length.

"Holy shit, Erz. Are you okay?" he asked, deeply concerned. His best friend simply shook her head as she began to cry, and wrapped her arms around him once more. Gray held her, before ushering her to the living room. He gently sat her down, and went to the kitchen to grab her some water.

"Talk to me, Erza. You know I hate it when you go mute." he told her as he returned, handing her a glass. Erza took it gratefully, and after drinking, looked at him. Anger welled up in his chest as he saw the sadness in her eyes.

"Did Jellal do this to you?! Whatever the hell he did, I'll make him regret it!" Gray fumed, but calmed when he was met with Erza's silence. "Erza…" he murmured gently, cautiously but caringly putting his hand on her knee.

She looked at the floor. "He never showed up."

Gray frowned, "What do you mean?"

"He…he said he was coming, and I waited for him, I waited alone, only to get a stupid phone call hours later." She started crying again, but softer than before. Gray moved his hand to her shoulder.

"What happened?"

"You…you were right. He got back together with Ultear, and he forgot about the dance…" She looked at Gray with the same tear-streaked face. "I just wish he would have explained himself in person." Gray's expression remained the same, not sure what to tell her.

"I guess, I knew somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I wasn't going to be happy with him. I just wanted to see…if I could feel just as happy with someone else like I do with you." she admitted, looking back at Gray. His eyebrows raised just the slightest bit.

Erza didn't notice, and she continued, "I was completely wrong. After he called, Sting and Rogue were there, and Minerva…" she trailed off. "Everyone was there, and I broke down in front of all of them."

"You were in a bad position. No one should ever make you feel that way." Gray finally spoke.

Erza nodded. "But what hurt the most is that you were right, and I didn't listen to you." She put her hand on his. "I'm so sorry, Gray."

Gray took her hand and pulled her in, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." Erza smiled, realizing that that was the only real apology she had heard all night.

Erza pulled back. "Well, now what do I do?" she asked, "I'm dateless, dressed up, and at your house."

Gray laughed, "Sounds like the usual." She threw a couch pillow at him, as he got up from the couch to the stereo system that was in the back of the room.

"What are you doing?" she asked, as the room filled with the opening vocals of 'Fall' by Justin Bieber. Erza scoffed, jaw dropping.

Gray walked over to her with a smirk. "Well, you said it yourself: you're dateless, dressed up, and here. So…" Gray comically got on one knee and held out his hand.

Erza threw her head back and laughed, "You are _not _doing this right now."

"Erza Scarlet, may I have this dance?" Gray asked, ignoring her comment and trying to keep from laughing himself.

"Yes, you may." Erza laughed, as Gray pulled her up into his arms. Her arms reached up perfectly to his height, and her head rested naturally in between his toned chest and shoulder.

His arms hooked around her waist as they swayed together in the living room.

Erza laughed, "This is so 2012. Do I want to know why you have this so readily on hand?"

"Shut up, it's semi-recent! Besides...it's a good song." Gray murmured the last part.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Gray shrugged. Erza chuckled, and smiled as the cheesy lyrics sounded around her.

"Shit." Gray cursed.

"What?" Erza asked, looking up at him.

"I'm not wearing a shirt…I swear, I was about to put one on, but you kept ringing the freaking doorbell—"

"You've been pretty nice to me, so I'll let it slide just this once." she laughed.

"Just this once?!" Gray demanded.

Erza kissed him on the cheek with a smile. "Okay, shutting up." Gray murmured, and she laughed, realizing just how right she felt in Gray's arms. 

X-x-X 

"I can't believe Gray stayed home alone this whole time." Lyon remarked with a laugh, following Ultear through the front door. The two had just returned home, and Lyon and Gray were spending the weekend at Ultear's house.

"Yeah, me neither. Can you imagine his face when we tell him how much he missed?" Ultear replied, and they shared a laugh. It had only been a couple few hours, but in that time not only had Ultear gotten back together with Jellal, but Lyon had asked his date, Juvia, to be his girlfriend.

"I'm so hungry, Jesus." Lyon whined, sulking out of the foyer to the kitchen.

"Grab me some fruit snacks, would you?" Ultear called, taking off her shoes. All she wanted was to lie down on the memory foam couch and watch movies. She walked to the living room, and froze.

"Do you want the blue kind or the red—" Lyon asked, walking into the living room, only to collide into Ultear's back. "Ultear, what the heck?" he asked, but Ultear just looked at him with a smile and gestured inside the room.

He looked past her, and saw Gray and Erza on the couch. They were both under a blanket and sleeping, Erza balled up on his lap and Gray's arms wrapped around her. The TV screen in front of them rolled the credits of their unfinished movie.

"Oh my god." both Ultear and Lyon gasped.

"They're so cute!" Ultear squealed.

"Should we wake them up?" Lyon asked.

"No, of course not!" Ultear scolded.

"Please, Ultear! We can pour ice water on them! Ooh, no, there's whipped cream in the fridge! Pleeeease?" Lyon begged, but Ultear slapped his arm.

"Don't be rude! You are not to touch them." she scolded, and left the room.

Lyon looked back at the sleeping couple. Shrugging, he took out his phone and snapped a picture of the two. "At least it'll be facebook official." he smirked, and put his phone away, jogging up to his guest room.

The couple remained sleeping, not even stirring from the commotion. 

X-x-X 

Erza stirred from her sleep. What happened last night? All she remembered was leaving the dance and showing up at Gray's house…

_Gray!_ She looked up to see his sleeping face. She smiled, and realizing how close they were, blushed. She looked at the clock: 2 AM. Her parents thought she was sleeping over at Lucy's. She grabbed her phone, about to text Lucy, when Gray started to stir.

He opened his eyes, running a hand through his hair before smiling at her. "What time is it?" he asked, and Erza showed him her phone. "Lyon tagged you in a picture?" he asked, puzzled.

"What?" Erza asked, confused as well. They both looked at her phone, and sure enough the said notification was there. In fact, her phone was suddenly vibrating with numerous incoming notifications.

"He tagged you on Instagram and Twitter _and_ Facebook?! What'd you do, Erz?" Gray asked with a laugh. He checked his own phone, and made the same confused expression. "Wait, he tagged me too." Gray realized.

"Well, let's look!" Erza decided, and both on their phones, opened the Facebook one:

The picture was of Gray and Erza sleeping together on the couch, their arms wrapped around each other. Both of their faces reddened as they read Lyon's comment: "Who needs winter formal when you can sleep?" To their dismay, the picture had exactly 97 likes…and counting.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Gray muttered, mentally cursing his brother.

Lucy Heartfilia: OMG YOU GUYS SINCE WHEN?!  
>Cana Alberona: when can I be the godmother of your children<br>Natsu Dragneel: GRAY OMG GOOD JOB I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT  
>Gajeel Redfox: Bow chicka bow wow<p>

There were more comments, but they couldn't read them from laughing so hard.

"Oh my god, we have to get him back." Erza told him, her laughter dying down.

Gray looked at the picture. "Lyon posted this two hours ago…he's definitely asleep now." He gave her a mischievous look that she returned.

"Where's he sleeping?"

"Follow me." Gray said, and they crept quietly up the stairs, phones in hand.

Erza smiled to herself. Her happiness, truly, was with Gray. 

X-x-X 

Lyon woke up the next morning. Getting out of bed, he put his phone in his pocket and went down for breakfast. Sitting in front of him at the dining room table were Erza, Gray, and Ultear. They all stared at him, smiling.

"Hey, Lyon." Ultear greeted, "How did you sleep?"

"Uh, fine." Lyon responded, grabbing the three waffles that were in the toaster. He did a double take, remembering that Gray and Erza were there. "How bout you two?" he asked, nodding his head toward the couple, "Did you see the picture? 108 likes, that's a lot."

Erza nodded. "Yeah, thanks for that. Did you see yours?"

Lyon looked at them, very confused, only to be met with their smirking faces.

He checked his phone, and saw that, in fact, Gray had tagged him in a picture. Definitely suspicious, he opened the picture and read single word in the caption: "Payback." He scrolled down to the picture.

It was a picture of him sleeping.

But not just any picture.

He was wearing the boxers his mom got him; they were Easter themed, white with pastel-colored eggs and cute, hopping bunnies all around. He was also curled up in ball, big-spooning his pillow which had somehow changed from its normal navy blue cover to a very bright, very colorful, very _Sailor Moon_ one. He read the comments:

Loke: In the name of the moon, I will punish you!  
>Juvia Loxar: wtf is this real<br>Natsu Dragneel: I will right wrongs and triumph over evil and the mean YOU!

And worst of all: 195 likes.

The horror on his face was evident and the other three people at the table cracked up, sprinting as fast as they could out the front door. Lyon chased after them, stopping at the open door as he watched them run off.

"FUCK YOU!" he screeched.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you all enjoyed, and leave a review if you can! reviews=motivation=more updates, ya? I have the next few chapters already planned, but do leave a review if there's something specific you'd like to read :3<br>**

**See you next time!  
><strong>**PinkKoala213**


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